About: Alexis Tsipras Archives

Skopje's ratification of the so-called name-change deal has triggered a government crisis in Greece, when the leader of the conservative junior coalition partner, Independent Greeks, stepped down on Sunday (13 January).

Manfred Weber, the Spitzenkandidat of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), ended months of silence on the ongoing efforts to resolve the Greece-Macedonia name row with a couple of pithy comments on Tuesday (9 January) that appear to support the deal.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will urge Greece to press on with tough economic reforms and maintain strict fiscal discipline when she visits Athens on Thursday (10 January) for the first time in nearly five years.

Macedonian lawmakers gather from Wednesday (9 January) to vote on changing their country's name to settle a decades-long dispute with Greece and open the way to NATO and EU membership.

Greek lawmakers approved on Tuesday (18 December) the country's first post-bailout budget which projects a high primary surplus next year and sees a pick-up in economic growth.

Victory by Greece’s right-wing New Democracy party over Alexis Tsipras' Syriza in the next elections would show that the rise of populists in Europe is not irreversible, European People’s Party (EPP) Spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber has said.

Greece’s pursuit of "sustainable growth" cannot be achieved by one political leader, so all democratic political forces should set aside their ideological differences and form an alliance, Konstantinos Michalos, President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Greece's parliament on Tuesday (11 December) voted to scrap plans to cut state pensions, in a motion led by the left-led governing coalition hoping to shore up its flagging support ahead of a general election next year.

Bulgarian deputy Prime Minister Krassimir Karakachanov stated on Saturday (8 December) that he would not let Macedonia join the EU and NATO, reacting to recent statements by the Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev about the Macedonian language that have also infuriated Athens.

For the future of Greece and the EU, it’s the right ideas that matter rather than party labels, S&D chief Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV.com, dismissing complaints from Greek socialists about the collaboration between EU socialists and leftist Greek premier Alexis Tsipras.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his close ally, senior Syriza MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis, are launching a number of initiatives to build bridges among Europe's fragmented progressive political forces and create a broad alliance ahead of the EU elections.

Bulgaria will take part in a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced on Friday (2 November), together with Serbia, Greece and Romania, a format dubbed by diplomats and journalists “the Orthodox Four”.

Macedonia's parliament will vote Monday (15 October) on whether to ratify a deal to change the country's name, in a bid to finally settle one of Europe's longest running disputes.

Following the recent setback in the referendum held in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s decision to proceed with new elections might be the only way forward, writes Neophytos Loizides.

A big controversy is ongoing in Greece following reports that the country’s largest opposition force, New Democracy, which strongly opposes the name deal with Skopje, has had secretive contacts with the Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Zoran Zaev.

The prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia, Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev, are among the favourites to become nominees for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, according to a Swedish journalist specialised in covering the secretive decision-making of the Nobel committee.

Moscow on Monday (1 October) said low turnout in the referendum on Macedonia's name change renders it invalid, adding that lack of interest means that the population has boycotted a decision "forced" upon it.

The Party of the European Left vows to be “the only alternative” to the conservatives and “the real alternative” to the far-right, according to a draft manifesto seen by EURACTIV.com; However, the fragmentation in the leftist family creates barriers.

The Socialists and Democrats group (S&D) continue to criticise the negative stance of center-right opposition parties in Athens and Skopje towards the landmark name deal but also turn a blind eye to their member party in Greece, which disapproves of it.

Europe needs a new vision and new goals, and all true Europeans have to defend EU values in campaigning for next year's elections and forming a new governance system afterwards, said Udo Bullmann, the leader of the Social Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Greek Prime minister Alexis Tsipras told progressive and pro-European parties on Tuesday (11 September) to join forces against “extreme” neoliberalism and far-right populism, whose discourse has become dominant within conservative forces.

The increasing cooperation between the conservative right-wing and the far-right should be a wake-up-call for democrats, who should create a wide pro-EU alliance, from leftist Alexis Tsipras to centrist Emmanuel Macron, Syriza MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Greece concluded its rescue programme on Monday (20 August), marking a milestone in its recent history and the end of the most difficult period for the euro area, but analysts and officials said the country faces an uphill struggle to maintain its economy sustainable.

Russia’s meddling in Greece's domestic affairs is "unacceptable", the European Commission told EURACTIV.com, amid an ongoing war of words between Athens and Moscow.